[Nick]

What are some of your techniques and methods of providing foraging opportunities for your bird(s)? Which methods to the birds respond to the best?

Harpo loves when I put some good food in a brown paper bag and hang it inside of his cage. He shreds it and devours the food inside. Then he organizes the brown bag shreds in his cage, because he has OCD.

 

[Friggin Joe]

My bird (Meyer's) was very proactive about foraging, destroying a couple bags that held food, so I figured I'd let him do that intentionally.

My budgies like to get to the point, but I always set up some game for the linnie and Meyer's to find the food. I'll fold up paper (origami w/ no skill) and put food in the folds or hide some food in a toy. I had a few small boxes that my bird likes to get into, but they're getting to be chewed up a bit much. Plus the Meyer's has this habit of wanting to carry the boxes around and up onto his cage and either falling with it or just spilling all the food out.

I'm even mean enough to put a couple treats in one container and let him check a few until he hears the rattle of food one out of a few I put around him. It's very funny to watch.

It's a good idea when buying toys for parrots to look for things you can tuck food into. They love it that way and it's a good activity to keep them busy and thinking.

 

[twink]

My gang have baskets in their cages that contain various kinds of foot toys of different textures, they empty them out, throw them around and sometimes even put them back in . I also provide them with plenty of chewable/tear up toys, such as pinata's ( they love them ) and other rafia/straw type toys. The new grapevine playgym I made recently is a big hit too, I have all kinds of chewable goodies hidden in it, they spend a lot of time chewing on that. :biggrin5:

 

[birdiebuddie]

i use these fake fabric flowers that are mini sizes and stuff millet and seed between them.

 

[Enna]

Right! just thought of something i usually do for my guys, Get colored ad paper that contains no acid, cut it into squares, add some seed into the center and wrap it up like a candy is. My bigger guys love to try and get the food out. Not so much the budgies. Millet in them is a huge hit. i'll try and get some pictures of them shortly

 

[brekke668]

I have several foraging toys that I swap around for Merlin and Emma. I stuff these with their favorites air popped popcorn , nuts , crackers.

I take different greens and weave them in the smaller bird cages. I am going to try the brown paper bag I know several of my birds will love it.

 

[Nancy]

A very simple beginning foraging thing to do with small birds is use sheets of toilet paper and just lay on top of their seed or food. I sometimes tear it in bits and cover their food with the pieces and lay a whole single sheet on top. They have to toss that paper out to get to their food, which they can easily do , but is a good way to get them started on foraging.

 

[Mythara]

I have loads of foraging ideas. I'm going to just going to list the titles of my blog posts, because there's so many, lol. You can find them all here: http://www.feathersandforage.co.uk

Stacked Tray - More balsa wood
More Easy Toys - Carousel and balsa wood cage
Balsa Wood - Seeds/pellets in balsa wood
Two New Foraging Toys - Newspaper swings and muffin top toys
More Piñatas
Cargo Net
Piñata, piñata!
Paper Bags
Foraging Tower - Paper origami
Snapology Foraging Ball - Paper origami
Paper Box Foraging - Paper origami
Lofty Foraging Video
Foraging Cups
Ice Cube Tray
Shredder Spheres
Millet-Trap
Shredder Curves
Willow Seed Cakes
Pasta Seed Treats
Paper Packets
Foraging Sphere 1, Foraging Sphere 2, Foraging Sphere 3
Cat Balls
Foraging Tray
Pinecones
Nutcase
"Sunflower" dangles/foot toys
Using Toys for Foraging
Log and Chain
Food Dishes for Foraging
Hanging Cups

They all absolutely love the foraging trays. Misfit and Widget both love the cargo net. The highlight of Lofty's day is going around and emptying her foraging cups, paper bag or pinata. The 'tiels both love the chain, and muffin cups, and the balsa wood is a new favourite with both. The budgies all love the cat balls, especially hung on a kabob - which is also how they get their fresh veg.

 

[EverLove]

Wow! Thanks for all of the ideas! I'll have to buy some cat balls and try your idea!

 

[Nancy]

Mythara, what wonderful ideas. I don't have time right now to read them all but I will be back. The one I did click on "Pasta Seed Idea" was great.

 

[twink]

Mythara...... Cheers for the link :thumbsup:, I've added it to my favs. :biggrin5:

 

[Marit]

Those are all great idea's! Thanks for sharing!

 

[afrsss]

Fabulous link Mythara!:thumbsup: